The Drs: Flat Head Prevention, Baby Head Shaping Helmets & SIDS

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Drs TV Show: SIDS

According to news reports, babies are getting flat heads from sleeping on their backs. This can be treated by reshaping helmets. This problem has increased since doctors recommended babies sleep on their backs to prevent Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, or SIDS.

Audience member Jennifer and her eight-month-old baby, Carson, joined The Doctors to ask what she can do to prevent her baby from developing a flat head. Dr. Jim Sears said it is still important to have babies sleep on their backs because of the SIDS concerns.

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Custom made Head Shaping Helmets can fix Flat Head in babies.

Dr. Jim Sears: Baby’s Flat Head

Dr. Sears said you can mix up the position of their head, so they are not always sleeping on the same side of their head. Try facing them toward the door one night, and away from the door the next night.

He also recommended having babies spend time on their stomachs when they are awake. You can also limit the time they spend in car seats or swings, when their heads lean back.

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The Doctors: Baby Helmets for Flat Head

If your baby does develop a Flat Head, have your pediatrician check to make sure nothing else is going on with your child. In most cases, flat head will correct itself within three to five years. But Dr. Jim Sears said parents are impatient or want to be proactive, and that is when the use the Baby Head Shaping Helmets.

Each helmet is custom designed for a child’s head. The helmet puts a little pressure on the front and sides of the head, but leaves it room to grow in the back. These helmets are supposed to be worn around the clock, except during bath time. They can fix flat head in about 12 months.

Dr. Travis Stork said SIDS can kill your child, but Flat Head is a cosmetic issue that can be corrected. Dr. Jim Sears said having a child’s Flat Head checked out by a doctor can rule out other, more dangerous problems.